FOREVER KNIGHTS: #3 Forsaking the Vanquished

She frowned, unconvinced.

“I’m certain you’ve killed many men but are you truly willing to kill one that wishes only to look after you?”

“You’ve held me captive!” She objected.

And?

“Have I been unkind?”

She lifted her chin a notch.

“As I thought.” He began coughing again.

“Were you helping your brothers?” Her hand slid from his shoulder.

Yes. He tried to answer but subsided in coughing again and nodded as he put a fist to cover his mouth.

She reached up and uncertainly removed a lock of pale gold hair from his forehead.

“Is there anything you won’t sacrifice for them?”

“No.” He shook his head as he hacked. Finally meeting her look steadily. His eyes the color of a stormy sea.

“And what if they wanted me? Would you just hand me over?”

Of course not! Where does that come from?

“Never!”

She was surprised at his sudden movement as he lurched from the bed to grasp her forearms and pull her nose to nose with him.

“I’d let no one harm you. No one have you. Ever. Hear me Elsabet?” He let go of her and collapsed weakly onto his back before murmuring. “I’ll always look after you.”

Shocked by his sudden fervor, she eyed him with large dark eyes. Bottom lip quivering at the sudden contact.

“Do you hear me?” He demanded urgently. Coughing again.

“I-I-”

“Do you hear me?” He turned his head to eye her, moving to reach for her again.

Answer me.

“I do. I do.” She reared back and rose. Backing from his bedside.

“Run Girl, run.” He cleared his rough throat. His voice dropping to a murmur. “You can’t run forever.”

If she leaves, I’m going to find her. And drag her back. He promised himself. Knowing it was very likely.

And I’m too weak to stop her, just now.

Rounding the corner, she slammed her back to the wall. “But it’s kept me safe.”

“I know.” He whispered back.

But it doesn’t now. It just keeps you from seeing what there could be.

She jumped, astounded that he could still hear her. She peered around the wall back into the room. Above him, his breath crystallized in floating puffs.

Elsabet reared back from the doorway and fled out into the bailey. Taking the stairs at a lunging pace.

Bast heard her at the stairs and knew the sound of the front door slamming open. He rose and jerkily stumbled to the window slit to look out over the bailey.

She’d stopped at the closed drawbridge and stared up at it. She turned to the bridge tower. Jerking forward and then stopping. Fists white knuckled in her skirt.

Don’t kill him.

“Dimitrius.” He called down. “Let her out. I’ll get her back.”

The dark-haired elf stuck his head out and peered up at him. Joined by Elsabet’s confused stare.

Bast nodded. “Let her go!” He rasped. Collapsing against the window slit. It took what energy he had left to fumble his way back to his bed. Dropping face down on it, and barely managing to slide under the coverlet. He shivered there, already fading back into much-needed sleep.

Somewhere deep in his subconscious he heard her re-entering the room. And wondered why she was still in WaterRose.

She walked to the foot of the huge wooden four post bed. Grasping the wooden footboard, she held tight until it turned orange. Heating under her touch. The glowing warmth traversing through the frame and into the rushes beneath him. Heating enough to feel like a warming block. Seeing his breathing ease and his shivering slow she turned from the room.

Unaware he caught the flash of her skirt as she rounded the corner. Moaning in relief he sunk further into the heated rushes.

Only after he’d fallen asleep did she creep back in to watch over him as he slept. Sitting on the floor next to his bed stand to keep a careful eye on him.

Though he was sweating as he fought a fever, he sensed her presence nearby. And a gentle hand on his arm to calm the nightmares, now and then.

By the next morning, Sebastian’s fever had mostly broke and his back was no longer stiff from the creatures rending apart his muscles to climb out of him. Scouting for Alazareth.

He could breathe more evenly and was famished.

“Elengard!” He called.

Making a pretty blonde fey materialize in his doorway.

“Food please.” He gave her a hopeful look.

“What would you like?” She asked with a slight head tilt.

“Anything we have.”

“Larders are near empty.”

“I’ll go hunting soon.” He promised.

“Very good, My Lord.”

He ate like he hadn’t eaten in an eternity.

Looking up from the tray of food, he saw Elsabet in his doorway.

What are you up to, Little Harpie? He recognized the intensity on her face and quickly determined she was assessing his health.

She’s going to leave. He resisted the urge to put the tether back on her but decided to wait it out and see what she did.

But it’s written on her face. He sighed to himself as he walked from the door. Making his body tense.

Because he’d slept so many hours, he knew it’d be a long while before he was able to rest again. He spent most of the night adding logs to the fire in his chamber to ensure his fever didn’t return as he drug the wooden chair in his room next to the window slit to stand guard over the bailey.

It was the early hours of the morning when he saw her slim shadow creep from the kitchens and around the front of the bailey. Seeing a fitted purple cloak, he’d given her, his beliefs were confirmed. She carried another gown wrapped into a ball with other clothing peering from it.